Sndbox Summer Camp Photography/Filmmaking - Task One - My journey in photography
Today i am starting the @sndbox Photography Quest. If you don't know what i am talking about, you should really read this: https://steemit.com/sndbox/@guyfawkes4-20/sndbox-summer-camp-photography-and-filmmaking-quest-rules
The first task of the Photography Quest is to make a post about my journey, my journey in the world of photography, so let's start this :D
First of all, about photography in my life. It just saved me, it saved me from all sort of things. It cured my depression, it helped me in bad financial struggles, it guided me thru life, it helped me make so many friends, meet so many good people and travel to so many beautiful locations.
Let photography be your best friend, it surely acts like one. Learn to do it better and better, learn to master it and in the process you will learn to master your life.
It can teach you about business, about marketing and PR, about social media and also about being a good and kind person.
When i was a kid (10-13years old) my mom felt that i had an artistic inclination and told me that maybe i want to do something in that direction.
As my mother studied at the music school, I tried piano, guitar, singing and soon we realized that it was clearly not for me. After this attempts, as my grandmother was a painter, I tried some painting classes at the local Museum of Art. I can't say that i did not like it, but i did not feel connected.
Few years passed after my attempts and i started web design, graphics and some flash animations (the good old days). This is how i got on the deviantart.com community. There, as i was posting what i made in graphics, i saw lots of photographers. After going to some "dev-meets" with the local community, a weird guy said to me that i should get into photography and that he thinks i have "the eye" for it.
It is true, everyday i was looking at photos, and everyday i felt like something pulled me in that direction. I was feeling that there is something missing, and that thing was photography.
The weird guy above was @catalincernat. I don't know if he really gets that he was such a big influence in my photography beginnings, but after he reads this lines i think he will get it :)). Let's continue.
As i did not have much money, i only bought a point-n-shoot, a bad one. Took some photos, but i immediately felt that i needed more. Catalin, i guess, felt my need and gave me my first FILM CAMERA, a ZENIT 11, russian made. It was a dream come true, the camera was a tank, a beautiful monster. I started taking photos with it and it felt so good. We started going out more and more, with the whole community, and this was such a nice era in my photography grow.
We organized so many photo sessions, we traveled to so many nice locations. For me, as a teenager, this was just awesome. I met so many interesting people, and we helped each other in so many ways.
After 2 years of playing with hobby photography, in the summer i wanted to get a job and start working. One day, my aunt called me and said that there is a news ad that states "Photographer wanted, details at this phone number: xxx-xx-xxx". This felt strange, no other information, no nothing. Of course, i felt intrigued and i called right away.
I remember being so nervous, i only shot mainly on film and as a hobby. I had put my hands on a digital camera only few times, so this was so awkward for me, but i really wanted it.
I entered the office where the interview was taking place and there, an old man was sitting next to a camera on a tripod. It was a brand new, just released Nikon D3 with a 24-70mm 2.8 on it. I looked so intimidating for me, i never had the chance to use a monster like that. He read my email and saw my film photos and he said that he just wants to see if i can deal with the camera, and just take some pictures right there in the office.
It was so damn heavy, and it had so many buttons, not like my film camera. But, somehow, with all the information i had in the last 2 years, i managed to set it up and took some portraits of him, some wide angle shots of the office. He then looked at them and said: "YES! You are the first one that put the hands on it and knew to make good photos, you are hired!"
This is how i started commercial and wedding photography. Jumping form a 100$ film camera to a 3000$ digital camera and 10000$ lenses. I was lucky, and my boss helped me so much to understand photography and the commercial side of it.
Wedding photography was the main thing at the studio. We were in the top 50 wedding photographers in Romania, at that point. That whole experience was the base of my photography. I had so much fun and i learned so much things about photography, editing, business, marketing, pr and so on.
Few years have passed and my relation with my boss fell apart. I don't blame him, i kinda blame me. I was a teenager, i had dreams of my own, i wanted to go out, have fun and yes, make photos, but not in the way he wanted. We started having so many fights about the concepts of photo-sessions and the best choice seemed to be leaving the studio. So i did. I quit.
I did not have my own camera, i was so stupid and spent all my money on going out and friends. When i realized this, i knew i needed a job and fast.
A good friend of mine had a bar in Ploiesti City and always liked what i made and how i think, so he offered me the Manager position. I accepted immediately. After few months there, i had the chance to buy a new camera, a Nikon D300s (witch i still also use today, haha). In parallel with that job, i made my own photo studio for weddings and photo sessions, Fragma Studio.
All was good, but my hometown is so little and honestly, kinda boring. Five years ago I moved, to Bucharest with my girlfriend and wanted a fresh start. So i got a job in TV & Online press. Beside this, i still made commercial photography in my free time.
Now, i have different collaborations with studios, i still work in press and i still make photography. Oh, and i love my phone, so you will see so many photos made with it :D
Lately, i started food and product photography and I am also making photos for myself. Steemit really made me go out and enjoy photography and i guess steemit is one of the best places to meet different and interesting people. I have so many plans, let's hope they will succeed.
This is my photography journey, hope you will understand my struggles and joy. Make your dreams come true and try and learn from every mistake or success.
Have a great day!
I must have been really dimwitted back then if I told you that you have an eye for photography. Well, mistakes were made. Now we gotta live with the consequences. :P
Cool post, bro!
Ha! :)) Big mistake man, look where that got me. Thanks!
Brilliant photos so far !
Thank you :)
I loved reading about your journey. I always find it so interesting to read about how others got to where they are. I'm joining this challenge too, but a little late. I hope I will have the time in the next few days to finish all the tasks! Congratulations to you for doing such a great job on the first one!